Escape
by Dragonesse
Summary: One fatal shot and Elizabeth's world goes black. Will she drown in the shadows or find a light? And what does an eager Porygon and the Internet have to do with it?


**Genre: **Drama/Adventure/Fantasy

**Rating:** YA (Young Adults)

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and I am not sure who else.

**|Escape|**

**Chapter One: The Hunt**

_Jan. 1st_

Elizabeth Annika's sneaker stomped into the puddle, hurling muddy droplets everywhere. They coated her soaked jeans and landed on her eyes. Fast, she wiped them away and kept running, not sparing a glance for the lynch mob that screamed their fury and confusion in the dark.

They hunted. They sent ahead the Pokemon, the angry, the obedient, or the plain bloodthirsty. The nice ones, or the strong minded ones who knew better, stayed back in the village. Fear and sadness stuck to every building, every person, every Pokemon. Shame also radiated from a few villagers; they drank their guilt away in seemingly endless bottles of booze.

Elizabeth was unaware of the atmosphere back 'home'. It was no longer a real home to her. Any love she had for her friends was buried under horror and an ice cold block of anger.

Her breath came harder now. Her sneakers dug into the slippery mud as they pushed her uphill. Her hands grabbed the wet grass and leaves as she pulled herself up the last few feet of the hill and onto even ground.

"No! Damn!" She cursed as she tripped. Her face smacked a small boulder on the narrow forest path. Blood dripped from the fresh scratches on her pale face. The moonlight was fading fast as the trees grew thicker. Behind her, she heard the shriek of a Zubat and the pounding of a four footed beast.

In the distance, she could see the fuzzy outline people with flashlights. They were almost at the base of that darned slope. The creature running up the hill was a fierce Arcanine; his eyes were full of insane rage.

She must act. Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a small violet and black Pokeball. Throwing it ahead of her, a flash of light illuminated the soggy path for a split second. Her Houndoom now stood a few feet in front of her, whining quietly.

"GO Mikal! I'll hold them off-no!" she snapped as Mikal took a few steps towards her. "Go now! They think you're to blame-just go! They won't hurt me, just-"

A shot rang through the air, followed quickly by the short howl of a dog in pain. The shot and the howling rang on and on in Elizabeth's ears. Her brain stopped thinking, stopped processing. The sudden violence froze her in place.

When a hand gently tugged her arm, she broke the trance. Wheeling around, she slapped the man standing beside her. Slowly, the local Pokemart owner's face came into focus, a large red streak on his cheek.

"GO! You worthless [bleeping] [bleep]! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW! HE didn't kill anyone! I was with him when those Mareep were murdered! It WASN'T HIM YOU ASSES!" She bent down and started grabbing rocks and threw them, with force, at the dozen villagers or so now gathered around her and her dead Houndoom. Many hit their targets, causing several to cry out. Their cries of pain only angered Elizabeth. Her deep, cold rage had started to melt and burn into a frenzy of hate.

They left. When the last villager was gone, Elizabeth collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. Screaming, she crawled her way to Mikal. A surprised look was on his dark, furry face. A small hole leaked drops of blood. It was right where his heart was.

"At least you died quick, you wonderful, wonderful Pokemon," Elizabeth whispered, touching his warm fur. Anger rushed to replace the sorrow. Screaming again, she pounded the ground beside Mikal. Then reverted to sobbing into his fur.

She stayed there, with Mikal, for the entire night. No one from the village came to look for her. When dawn started to show its rays of light, Elizabeth had made up her mind. After burying Mikal, she would leave this "home" of hers and travel far, far away.

When Elizabeth walked into the village, nobody would meet her eye. She entered her small house. It seemed to take seconds to pack everything she would take with her into a couple large duffel bags. Where she would leave to, she didn't know. Her clothes were still covered with mud and she was shaking from hunger, shock and cold.

"Liza..." a gruff voice said. Elizabeth turned, glaring at her open door. The Pokemart owner, Sunny, was standing in the doorway, nervously clutching a hat and looking at the ground.

"What?" she snapped. How dare he? How could he be here? There was nothing she wanted to hear from him.

"More Mareep were killed, early this morning. And a Growlithe puppy. We...I'm sorry. Liza-"

"Goodbye," she replied coldly. At least Mikal's name is cleared, she thought.

"Where ya going?" Sunny asked as Elizabeth pushed past him.

On the ground, an advertisement for Ayray Town apartments lay, tattered and muddy. Ayray Town. The village was far from Ayray town...

"Ayray Town." She could live there, away from this. She could move on, maybe even another Pokemon-no, that was too early.

But it was a place to get away, to start anew, to...

Escape.

* * *

**Author's note:** This story has also been published on Bulbagarden under the pen name Dragoness.

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak, I believe.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter =) If you want, I can publish more chapters.


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